UN Security Council threatens to take measures against abductors of Nigerian schoolgirls

• The UN Security Council on Friday strongly condemned the abduction of nearly 300 schoolgirls in Nigeria.

• The UNSC expressed their "profound outrage" at and condemned "in the strongest terms" the abduction.

• The UN Security Council pledged to continue actively following the situation of the abducted school girls.

UNITED NATIONS, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Friday strongly condemned the abduction of nearly 300 schoolgirls in Nigeria and the recent terrorist attacks committed by extremist Islamic group Boko Haram, threatening to take measures against the insurgents.

"The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attacks committed by Boko Haram that occurred in Gamboru Ngala, Nigeria on 5 May causing hundreds of deaths and injuries," the Security Council said in a statement read out here by the permanent representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations Oh Joon, who holds the rotating council presidency for the month of May.

The most powerful body of the UN also expressed their "profound outrage" at and condemned "in the strongest terms" the abduction of 276 schoolgirls on April 14 in Chibok, as well as the reported abduction on May 5 of eight girls in Warabe, Joon said. "They demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all abducted girls still in captivity and further expressed their deep concern at statements made by the alleged leader of Boko Haram threatening to sell these girls as slaves."

According to Joon, the 15-member council strongly condemned " all abuses of human rights and, where applicable, violations of international humanitarian law, including those involving sexual and gender based violence, abductions and attacks against schools and hospitals, including their personnel," and underlined that all perpetrators of such acts must be held accountable at national or international levels and that some of those acts may amount to crimes against humanity under international law.

The statement also expressed concern about terrorist attacks conducted by Boko Haram since 2009 which have caused large-scale and devastating loss of life and threatened the stability and peace of West and Central Africa.

The council members also welcomed the ongoing efforts of the Nigerian government to ensure the safe return of the abducted girls to their families, as well as international efforts to provide assistance to the Nigerian authorities in this regard and bring the perpetrators to justice.

The UN Security Council intended to "consider appropriate measures" against Boko Haram and pledged to continue actively following the situation of the abducted school girls, said the statement.

GENEVA, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The recent wave of attacks on civilians with unprecedented brutality and frequency in northeast Nigeria was alarming, said the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Friday.

Adrian Edwards, spokesman with the UN refugee agency, told reporters that Nigeria sunk in the mire of multiple kidnappings and deaths over the past two months, leaving numbers of people internally displaced or even having fled to neighboring countries for safety. Full story

ABUJA, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The recent abduction of teenage girls in the northeast region of Nigeria will mark the end of terrorism in the West African country, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan said Thursday.

Jonathan made the statement in a speech delivered at the opening of the plenary sessions of the ongoing World Economic Forum on Africa. Full story